Apparatus for condensing and fractionating hydrocarbons



Aug. 1, 1924.

E. OWEN APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING AND FRACTIONATING HYDROCARBONS Filed Dec. 14, 1920 s sheets-sheet l NQQ /N [/5 N TOP WITNESSES %%w zwz EPA/EST OWEN ATTORNEYS Aug. 19 1924.

E. OWEN APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING AND FRACTIONAT'ING nwnocmsous 1920 IS Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.

WITNESSES INVENTOH Fax/197" OWEN ATTORNEYS E. OWEN APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING AND FRACTIONATING HYDROCARBONS 1920 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 14

Mooooooooooo Wooooooooooo oooooo.ouooo ovoooooouoo ooooooo WITNESSES ERNEST OWEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING AND FBACTIONATING HYDROC Application filed December 14, 1920. Serial No. 480,617.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST OWEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York. borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Condensing and Fractionati g Hydrocarbons, of which the following is a clear and detailed description.

The apparatus relates more particularly to the distillation of petroleum and seeks for one of its rincipal objects to provide a means for e ecting a more perfect separation of the hydro-carbons which are evolved as a body of mixed vapors from a still, into distinct fractions than has heretofore been accomplished.

The usualmethod now practiced by pe troleum refiners, is to first condence the vapors from the still in one condenser,

the operating expense of thus necessitating the rerunning of the condensate in other stills in order to separate it into the diiierent marketable fractions. This procedure not only reatly increases the plant, but requires a large initial outlay in additional equipment. So far attempts that have been made to fractionate the vapors from the still ha ve resulted in a more or less iniperfect separation of the fractions, requiring redistillation in order to obtain the perfeet fractions.-

The present invention contemplates the fractionation of hydrocarbon vapors into distinct and clearly defined products, the specific gravity of which may be varied at the will of the operator by the regulation of thefiow of the cooling medium through each condenser'unit by means of automatic temperature controlling devices arranged in the vapor outlet from each condenser.

In order to economize .in the amount of cooling water required, it is a further object of the invention to feed the water through the various units of the apparatus successively and concurrent to the flow of the vapors, whereby the water utilized in one condenser as it' becomes heated may be utilized to cool fractions of a higher boiling point in the remaining units.

Furthermore, in order to insure that the product condensed in each unit will be of a homogeneous composition, there is provided in connection-with each unit, a. tower or column having means therein whereby should any lighter vapors than those desired be condensed, this lighter condensate in its passage through the tower will be re-eva 0 rated by the ascending vapor and carrie to the next unit.

The invention furthermore contemplates the provision of a separator disposed between each condenser and tower which is adapted to function to return the entrained liquid to the proper rectifyingl column in order to prevent any of the. eavi'er'condensed vapors from being mechanically picked up and swept over into the next unit by the rapidly moving vapors.

Furthermore, in order to vaporize the lighter fractions of the crude or charg oil to relieve the still of a certain amount of'work, the invention' contemplates the provision of means for initially subjecting the vapors from the still to a bath in the crude or charging oil suppl whereby to vaporize and remove the h hter fractions from the crude oil supply Wit out the necessity of passing the same through the still,

the crude oil at the same time functioning to condense and remove from the vapor the heavier fractions in order that the same may be returned with the crude oil'supplicd to the still.

"With the above recited and other ends in view, some of which willapr as the nature, purpose and operation of the invention is more fully understood from the following detailed description and the ap pended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawin forming a part of this application, an in whic Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete apparatus.

' Figure 2 is afragmentar vertical sectional view through one of t e units of the apparatus.

igure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed view of the automatic controlling means for the water cooling supply.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5' is a vertical sectional view through a modified form of one of the units. of the apparatus.

-Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view thcrethrough taken approximately on the illustrating the construction of'the gravity spray nozzle employed'in connection there- I't o' the stripping tower.

with.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the apparatus consists of a primary unit 10 and one or more secondary units 11, any number of which may be employed in connection therewith and coupled to each other in series.- The primary unit includesa stripping tower or column 12 having a vapor intake pipe. 13 at its lower 'end which establishes communication between the same and a still or furnace for conveying the distillate or vapor therefrom The primary unit also includes a refluxcondenser drum 14 supported in superposed relation thereon me and connected thereto by the conduit 15. The secondary units 11 each inc ude a rectifying tower or column 16 and a pair of super osed drums 17 and 18 respectively constituting an exchange drum and a dephlegmator drum. The construction of the strip ing and rectifying towers 12 and 16 are su stantially identical and each comprises a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal walls 19 which divide the tower into an upper chamber 20, a lower chamber 21 and a plurality of intermediate chambers 22. The walls 19 are each provided with upstanding nipples 23 over which are arranged inverted cup'sha ed caps 24 having the lower edges notched as at 25 whereby to provide means for trapping and maintaining a supply of liquid at a predetermined level in the upper compartment 20 and each of the intermediate compartments 22. A vertical stand pipe 26 extends through each wall 19 and the u per extremity thereof is disposed slight y abovethe upper end of the mp les 23 to maintain the levels of the liquid exteriorly of the caps 24 slightly above the level of the liquid within the same. The lower extremity of the stand pipe is disposed slightly below the upper extremity of the stand pipe of the compartment therebeneath, whereby said lower extremity will be immersed in the liquid supply thereof. By this arrangement the vapors which enter the lower chamber 21 will pass upwardlyrthrough the nipples 23 and will be compelled to bubble up through the liquid to the chamber above until it finally reaches the upper compartoutlet.

ment 20. In the primary unit 10 a pipe 28 leads from the lower-chamber to the still and constitutes a conduit for conveying the crude oil thereto. The pipe is bent as at 29 to provide a trap which functions to maintain the fluid at a constant level in the lower chamber and at the same time operates to prevent the passage of vapor from the still to said lower chamber 21. The lower end of the lowermost stand pipe 26 is immersed in the fluid 'in the lower chamber 21 to prevent the passage of the vapor from the compartment'25 through the stand pipe and compel it to pass through the nipples 23. In the secondary units 11, a drain pipe 30 communicates with the lower chamber 21 and the same is rovided with an offset portion 31 which unctions to maintain a constant level of the fluid of condensation therein, whereby to seal the lower end of the lowermost pipe 26 for a like purpose. In the primary unit the reflux condenser 14 is substantially of the same construction as the exchange and dephleg mator drums 17 and 18 of the secondary units 11. Each of the drums are provided with outer heads 32 and inner eads 33 spaced therefrom to provide the end chambers 34 connected by a plurality of batteries of tubes 35 which extend through the central chamber 36 and establish communication between the chambers 34. The drums are further divided by the longitudinal partition walls 37 which extend alternately thereth'rough from the opposite outer heads 32 into the central chamber 36 and terminate short of the inner heads 33. By this arrangement it will be seen that the vapor taken in at one side of the lower partition 37 in one of the outer chambers 34,- will be compelled to travel through the tubes to the opposite end chamber 34, in a sinuous course from the inlet to the It will befurther evident that fluid taken intov the central chamber at one side of one partition 37, will be compelled to travel through a sinuous course around the tubes to and from the inlet to the outlet at the o posite side of the other partition. The out et of the reflux condenser is connected by a conduit pipe 38' to the'lower chamber 21 of the rectifying tower 16 of the adjacent secondary unit 11. Likewise the outlet of the dephlegmator drum 18 of each secondary unit 11 is connected by conduit ipe 39 to the lower chamber 21 of the recti ylng tower of the next adjacent unit.

enters the central chamber 36 to the next adjacent exchange drum after taking) a sinuous course therethrough around the teries of tubes 35.. In each of the succeeding units the crude oil supply is conveyed through a similar pipe 41 to the next adjacent secondary unit 11. The crude oil is conveyed by a pipe 42 directly to the upper chamber 20 of the stripping tower 12 where it gravitates through the various nipples 23 and stand pipes 26 to the bottom compartment 21 and 1s .finally carried to the still or furnace through the pipe 28. At the same time the vapor conve ed by the pipe 13 from the furnace is traveling through the stripping tower 12 to the reflux condenser 14 by way of the conduit pipe 15, .which enters one of the end chambers 34 below the partition 37 at the lower side of the drum, the vapor traveling in a sinuous course through the tube batteries 35 to the outlet. The vapor from the reflux condenser asses into the lower chamber 21 of the rectifying tower of the adjacent secondary unit 11, repeating the action set forth in the stripping tower 12. From the upper chamber 20 of the rectifying tower 16 it is conveyed by a i e 43 to one of the end compartments 34 oftiie exchange drum 17, below the artition 37 thereof thence through the tu batteries 35 to the opposite end compartment 34 and through a pipe 44 to the dephlegmator 18. During the sinuous course of travel through the exchange drum, it is evident that the crude oil flowing through the center compartment will tend to cool the vapor, while the vapor at the same time will function to heat the crude oil thereby setting u the ex change action. From the pipe 44 t e vapor enters the dephlegmator 18 in one of the end compartments 34 below the lower partition 37 and thence through the tube batteries in a sinuous course to the opposite end compartment above the upper partition 37 to an outlet pipe 45 which is connected to the conduit pipe 39. In the dephlegmator drums 18 and the reflux condenser 14, thecentral chambers 36 constitute a compartment for the reception of the cooling agent, preferably water. A water supply line 46 traverses the series of units 11 and is provided with a three wa valve v47 arranged therein adjacent eac dephlegmator drum 18. A branch or feed pipe 48 leads from one port of each valve 47 to the chamber 36 of its respective dephlegmator, above the upper partition wall 37. An outlet and return ipe 49 communicates respectively with the c amber 36 at the bottom of the drum and the feed pipe whereby the cooling agent may be circulated therethrough. The supply line 46 connects with a three way valve 50 adjacent the reflux condenser and said valve communicates through a branch feed pipe 51 with the upper end of the chamber, 36 of the reflux condenser. The remaining port of the valve 50 communicates with anexhaust water pipe 52 into which the outlet and return pipe 53 from the bottom of the reflux condenser drum 14, empties. Each of the three Way valves 47 is provided with a shiftable valve member 47 a which is adapted to co-act with the respective valve seats 47 b and 47. By this arrangement upon the shifting of the valve, the water supply'or cooling agent may be either circulated through the dephlegmator drums or reflux condenser drum, or by-passed around the same.

In order to provide means for rendering the apparatus automatic in its operation, a temperature controllin device is employed for actuating the va ve, said mechanism being of any ordinary construction. -In the particular showing made the automatic controlling device includes a dia hragm 54 which operates directly on the va ve stem 55 when air is supplied thereto through the air pipe 56. A thermostatically actuated air valve 57 controls the supply of air through the air pipe 55 and the thermostatic tube 58 of said valve 57 enters the outlet pipe 45 where it will be subjected to the heat action of the vapors passing therethrough. An indicator dial 59 having an indicator and set ting arm 60 is provided for setting the thermostatically controlled valve to any desired degree. When the temperature of the vapors reaches the predetermined degree desired,

' the thermostatic tube will actuate the air controlling valve 57 to shut ofi the air supply to the diaphragm 54, permitting a spring 61 to function to move the valve member 47 into contact with the seat 47, to establish communication between the supply line 46 and the branch pipe 48. The water will then flow into the central chamber 36 of the dephle' mator and after circulating therethroug will flow through the outlet and return pipe 49, back to the supply line 46.

Where the temperature falls below the predetermined degree of heat, the thermostatic tube will open the valve 57 to allow the supply of air to actuate the diaphragm and shift the valve member 47 B into contact with seat 47 whereby the water will be by-passed around the dephlegmators. The three-way valve 47 of the primary unit 10 operates in a similar manner for establishing communication between the reflux condenser 14, and the supply line. By this arrangement the water may be run through or by-passed around the reflux condenser under the controlling action of a similar controlling device.

In order to provide additional means for removing the heavier fractions from the vapor or gas during its travel from the reflux condenser to the rectifying column or from the dephlegmators to the rectifier columns, use is made of the separators 66 which communicate respectively with the outlet pipe and the conduit pipes 38 or 39. The separators are provided with a plurality of spaced baflie plates 67 depending from their upper wall and the lower wall of said separators receives the drain pipes 68 which carry off and return the heavier fractions to the stripping or rectifying tower as the case may be. Preferably traps 69 are arranged in the drain pipes 68 to seal the pipes against the passage of vapor or gas therethrough from the stripping or rectifying towers to the separators 66. The conveyor pipe 42 leading from the exchange drum 17 to the stripping tower is provided with a depending offset 70 which constitutes a trap to eliminate the possibility of the passage of the vapor from the stripping tower to the exchange drum.

In use and operation of the apparatus, vapor or gas generated in the still or fur nace is conveyedby the pipe 13 to the lower chamber 21 of the stripping tower or column 12. from whence it rises through the nipples 23 to the caps 24 and through the liquid trapped in each of the intermediate "compartments 22 and the upper compartment 20. The liquid contained in these compartments is a mixture of the crude or charging oil supplied thereto through the pipe 42 and the vapor condensate which is formed in the reflux condenser 14 and the separator 66. In passing through the liq-i uid, the vapor will strip the lighter frac-' ,by the drain pipe 68. The vapors leaving the separator will be conveyed by the pipe 38 to the lower chamber 31 of the first rectifying tower 16, where the ascending vapor will be washed by the condensate collected thereon from the exchange drum 17 and the condenser drum 18. The condensate which is also scrubbed by the rising vapor causing tht re-evaporization of the lighter fractions of the condensate, gravitates to the lower com artment 21, from whence it is conveyed rom the drain pipe 30 to the proper storage tank.

The vapors leaving the rectifying tower enter the exchange drum 17, where an exchange of heat takes place between the vapors and the crude or charging oil on its way to the still. The vapor then passes into the condenser or dephlegmator drum 18, where all the fractions heavier than a certain gravity are condensed, this separation being automatically controlled bythe temperature regulating means, which governs the flow of cooling water around the tubes. This action is repeated in the following units to. effect the separation of lighter fractions from the vapors of each succeeding unit. It will be noted that the flow of the vapors is counter-current to the flow of both the oil and the water. By this arrangement the cooling water will act successively upon vapors of a higher degree of temperature than the temperature of the preceding vapors, thereby permitting of the use of the same water to economize in the amount used. Likewise the crude or charging oil supply will be gradually tempered by meeting increasingly hotter vapors in the successive exchange drums.

In the modification illustrated in Figures 5, 6, and 7 of the drawings the rectifying tower is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal baflie walls 76 which alternately terminate within the inner periphery of the tower at opposite sides thereof to compel the vapor or gas to travel through a sinuous course therethrough. The free ends of said baflie walls are pro-. vided with vertical upstanding and depending bafiie flanges 77 and 78. The bafiie walls 76 are further provided with a plurality of depending goose necks 79 which constitute gravity spray nozzles. By this arrangement the vapor condensate'will gravitate through the goose necks and drop through the compartments 80 onto the next lower bathe wall 76 in tlie'form of spray thereby bathing the vapor and gas as it passes throughout the rectifying tower. in this instance the rectifying tower is open at its upper end and is closed by the lower head 81 of the exchange drum 82. The upper head 83 and lower head 81 of the exchange drum are perforated for the reception of a battery of tubes 8; which establish communication between the upper compartment of the rectif ing tower and a dephlegmator drum 85 w ich is open at its lower end and is secured over the head 83. The exchange drum is rovided with horizontal bafile walls 86 w ich extend inwardly from opposite sides thereof to cause the crude oil passing therethrough to travel in a sinuous course from the intake pipe 87 to the outlet pipe 88. The dephlegmator drum 85 is provided with a bottom head 89 s aced from its lower end and an upper an inner head 90 which is covered by a supplemental head 91. The heads 89 and 90 are perforated for the rece tion of the battery of tubes 92 which esta lish communication between the up 1' and lower compartment 93 of the eweaves phlegmator. The dephlegmator is provided with a plurality of horizontal bafile walls which alternately extend inwardly from the opposite sides thereof to compel the water passing therethrough to travel in a sinuous course from the water intake pipe 96 to the outlet pipe 97. lhe remaining vapor in the compartment 93 is carried therefrom to the next unit by means of conduit pipe 98.

While there has been described and illustrated several preferred embodiments of the invention, it 1s to be understood that the right is reserved to others than those actual y shown herein, to the full extent indicatedby the general meaning of the terms in which the claims are expressed and by variations in the phraseology ot the same.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a distilling apparatus and a plurality of fractionatmg condensing units, arranged in series, the first unit communicabing with the vapor space in the distilling apparatus, each unit comprising a heat exchanger and a water cooled condenser in communication with each other, with devices for drawing ofi condensate from each of said units; the arrangement being such that the vapors pass through each successive heat exchanger and water-cooled condenser in series, while the charging oil to the distilling apparatus flows in a countercurrent direction through each successive heat exchanger in heat absorbing relation to the vapors passing therethrough, the character of the condensate from each unit being governed by the flow of the cooling water through itsrespective condenser.

2. In an ap aratus or the character described, a distilling apparatus and a plurality of fractionatlng condensing units, arin mries, the first unit communicatingwith the vapor space in the distilling a paratus, each unit comprising a heat exc anger and a water cooled condenser in communication with each other, with devices for drawing oil condensate from each of said units; the arrangement being such that the vapors pass through each successive heat exchanger and water-cooled condenser in series, while the charging oil to the distilling apparatus flows in a countercurrent direction through each successive heat exchanger in heat absorbing relation to the vapors passing therethrough, the character of the condensate from each unit being governed by the flow or the cooling water through its res tive condenser, and temperature contro ling means actuated by the temperature or the va ors issuingfrom each unit for independent y regulating the flow or said cooling water.

3. in an apparatus of the character dea distilling apparatus, and a plu- 'that the vapors pass through each successive heat exchanger and Water cooled condenser in series, while the charging oil to the distilling apparatus flows in a countercurrent direction through each successive heat ex changer in heat absorbing relation to the, vapors passing therethrough, the character "of the condensate from each unit being gov erned by the fiow of the cooling water through its respective condenser.

4. In an apparatus of the character described,a distilling apparatus, and a pluralit of units, arranged in series so that the rst unit communicates with the vapor space of the distilling apparatus and delivers its residual vapors to the next in series, devices for returning condensate from said first unit to the still; the first unit comprising means whereby the vapors from the distilling apparatus are subjected to a bath in the charging oil; each unit comprising a heat exchanger and a water cooled condenser in communication with each other, with devices for drawing off condensate "from each of said units; the arrangement being such. that the vapors pass through each successive heat exchanger and water cooled condenser in series, while the charging oil to the distilling apparatus flows in a countercurrent direction through each successive heat exchanger in heat absorbing relation to the vapors passing therethrough, the character of the condensate from each unit being governed by the flow of the cooling water through its respective condenser, and temperature controlling means actuated by the temperature of the vapors issuing from each unit for independently regulating the flow of said cooling water.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a distilling apparatus, and a plurality of units, arranged in seriesso that the rst unit communicates with the vapor space of the distilling apparatus and dellvers its residual vapors to the next in series, devices for returning condensate from said first unit to the still; the first unit comprising means whereby the vapors from the distilling apparatus are subjected to a bath in the charging oil, and means for controlling the temperature of vapors passrec ing to the second unit,-each unit comprising a heat exchanger and a water cooled condenser in communication with each other,

with devices for drawing ofi' condensate I from each of said units; the arrangement being such that the vapors pass through each successive heat exchan er and water coole& condenser in series, w ile the charging oil gnomes (no (he disiiliing apparatus flows in a countercurren', direction through each successive 1o heesexchsngei in heat absorbing reiation to the vapors passing therethrough, the character of the condensate from each unit being governed by the flow of the cooling Water through its respective confienser.

ERNEST GWEN.- 

